Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild - 3 ª Season

Giant pandas are back in the United States and Peter and Dr. Rae get an up-close look at the adorable pair that make their home at one of the country's busiest zoos.. While there, they explore the bears' natural history, cultural significance, conservation status, and how zookeepers keep these charismatic creatures well-fed. Next, they learn about the "other" panda: the red pandas, which ironically aren't bears at all. Dr. Rae travels to a zoo in Lincoln, Nebraska, to learn about ongoing efforts to safeguard the species through captive breeding programs.

Peter and Dr. Rae join the extraordinary effort to rescue critically imperiled Mexican wolves from the brink of extinction. The adventure begins with a census of the wild population in New Mexico and capturing an alpha male by helicopter. Then, the team performs a medical assessment of the wolf and gives him a new radio collar to continue monitoring his behavior. The action culminates in an ambitious plan: to bolster the numbers of Mexican wolves in the wild by integrating captive bred wolf puppies into a wild den.

Dr. Rae and Peter venture to a dramatic coastal Mexican desert lagoon where gray whales, once nearly extinct from whaling, have made a remarkable recovery. They explore a wild whale nursery where mother whales and their curious calves welcome human interaction. Rae also meets a team of researchers who have implemented cutting-edge technology to track the behavior of individual whales. Then, Peter treks north to the rugged California coast, where the epic 14,000-mile migration of gray whales unfolds. The journey is a testament to their endurance against fierce storms, predators like orcas, and threats to their food supply because of changes in climate. Witness an unprecedented gathering of three friendly humpbacks and a curious gray whale.

Peter and Rae witness a crisis unfolding in the Pacific Northwest. One of Earth's most magnificent predators, the resident orca, faces a dire threat to its survival. These orcas are endangered due to the rapid decline of their primary food source: the chinook salmon, whose populations have plummeted to as little as 10 percent of their historic numbers. First, Peter sees the problem first hand while tracking orcas by boat in the Puget Sound. Then, he joins conservationists at an Oregon salmon hatchery for a very hands-on push to save this vital keystone species. Finally, Rae and Peter take part in a unique initiative along the Oregon coast where plastic pollution is turned into artistic sculptures to inspire change in human behavior. Experience both creative and scientific efforts to and bring the population of salmon and the creatures that depend on them back to the wild kingdom.

An epic saga of courage and compassion, where science meets adventure. Peter and Dr. Rae head to California's rugged Sierra Nevada to join conservationists who risk life and limb to protect one of North America's most endangered species - the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. From dizzying altitudes and perilous cliffs, a fearless team captures, collects vital health data and fits GPS collars on these elusive animals. The journey then shifts to the deserts of Anza-Borrego, where another herd of bighorns faces searing heat and relentless drought. Through ingenuity, teamwork, and sheer determination - from airlifts of 2,000-gallon water.